Breaking Walls
by Aeilde Light
Summary: Broken and beaten, Raina Triant haunts Hogwarts' walls, alone and glad for it. She's unsure how to cope when someone starts trying to break into her little world. Rated T for Future Violence/child abuse scenes, chapters will be added as they're written.
1. Invisible

The light flickered and she glanced to the small lamp lighting her lone table in the library. The oil was almost gone. It was getting late anyway. She sighed and stood, closing her book gently. It wasn't unusual for her to stay hours after the library closed; Madame Pince never noticed, and she was always gentle with the books. She gathered her things and stood quietly, brushing a strand of frizzy, brown-red hair behind an ear. She straightened her glasses and left the library, taking her Mermish translation book with her.

The castle was quiet at night, but that wasn't unusual either. Many nights she had walked the empty hallways and corridors. The empty, silent castle almost felt like a friend to her now, after five years living here. Almost. She had no friends.

She heard footsteps and leaned against the wall. Light from a lantern illuminated the corridor and Filch stepped into her vision. She relaxed herself into the shadows and watched him pass. His cat glanced in her direction and stopped a moment, trying to see deeper into the darkness, but then she looked away, trotting after her master. She waited for their footsteps to fade before continuing on her way. Her own steps made no sound on the marble floors as she walked up staircase after staircase, approaching Ravenclaw tower. She reached a tall, blue door with a bronze eagle knocker that sprang to life as she reached the top step.

"Why can't light illuminate the darkness?" it spoke.

"Darkness is light's equal and opposite. To illuminate it is to make it light, and when it is light, it is no longer itself. Furthermore, by illuminating one spot of darkness, the light casts a new shadow in which darkness lurks. In short, light cannot illuminate, or truly destroy, that which it propagates." She promptly replied. She never had an issue answering its riddles,

"Well put." The eagle became still and the door swung open to reveal the common room. Many tall bookshelves lined the walls. She brushed her fingers along their spines at she made her way to the stairway leading to the girls dormitory and her room. Up the spiral staircase, she counted each stair, as usual. There were exactly thirty-four stairs from the common room up to her dorm, and the bathroom was only twelve more steps up. She could, and had walked up and down this staircase with her eyes closed, her hand sliding gently up the polished, wooden railing.

She quietly opened the door to her room and shut it softly. She glanced around the room at the three beds nearest the door. Her roommates slept peacefully, their chests rising and falling with each small breath they took. She watched them for a moment then stepped carefully over to her own bed in the corner of the room, under the window. The other girls had left this bed un-chosen last, likely due to the draft, but she didn't mind it at all. She was out of the way here. She put down her book bag and took out her Mermish book, placing it on her nightstand for the morning. She stripped off her clothes and quickly dressed in her flannel pajamas. Her hand brushed something silkier in her trunk as she put away her clothes, and she pulled out a pale yellow nightgown with a price tag still on it. Jenna must have bought it for her and packed it in her trunk while she wasn't paying attention. The cloth slid pleasantly over her fingers but she put it back in the trunk underneath her other things, tucking it away. She was more comfortable in her flannel. Flannel was less noticeable.

She unbraided her hair and brushed it out, setting her glasses on top of her book. The pulled back the blankets and climbed under the covers. Closing her eyes she drifted off to a thankfully dreamless sleep.

She woke suddenly and sat up. The other girls were still asleep. The sunlight had only just started peeking through the window, making its slow crawl down the wall. She got out of bed and gathered her clothes, book, and other things for the day. She tip-toed past the other girls in their beds and quietly opened and shut the door then took the twelve steps up to the girl's bathroom.

She set down her things and laid out her clothes for the day in a neat pile next to her shoes. She removed her flannel letting it fall to the floor and stepped in the shower. She turned the heat on as high as it could go and tilted her head forward stepping into the steaming water. The temperature would scald almost anyone else, and made her skin turn pink. It had taken a long time for her body to get used to water that hot, but any cooler and she didn't feel clean afterwards. She ran her hands over her arms and body, long used to the stiff ridges that criss-crossed her skin. Her eyes caught one thin line running down the outside of her arm from her elbow, stopping a few inches from her wrist. She stared at it for a moment, remembering it was the final one she had received long ago. She shook her head. There were things to do. She finished in the shower, dried off, and dressed herself in a long sleeve gray turtle-neck and a long, dark brown skirt. She moved to the mirror, checking the collar of her shirt, making sure it came to her jaw. She put on her glasses and then set about taming her hair, brushing it then braiding it back. The pieces around her face fell from the braid, as usual; too short to be pulled back with the rest.

She made her way down the forty-six stairs to the common room. People were milling about now. Some half-awake, others cheerfully talking about this and that, getting ready for their day. One of her room mates was awake, beaming across the room at the sixth year boy she currently fancied. Adjusting the book bag on her shoulder, she made her way across the common room. No one looked at her. No one saw her pass through or leave. She walked down the staircase leading to the rest of the castle and made her way into the great hall. She chose a seat back, away from the faculty table near the giant blue and bronze banner that hung on the stone wall. Food popped up on the plates and dishes near her, the house elves out doing themselves once again. She picked up a piece of toast and opened the book, immersing herself in the Mermish language again. Another week or two and she'd be fluent. Then she'd pick up a book on Gobledegook. Or she might send a letter to Jenna asking for another Riddle book, or a new puzzle. She'd solved the last tavern puzzle weeks ago, and had been reworking the iron pieces so often she could solve it in half a minute now, and that was only because it took time to inch the pieces back and forth precisely so.

She started on some strawberries in the bowl to her left thinking the matter over. Jenna would be happy to send her a few books or puzzles, but she didn't want to bother her either. No matter what Jenna said about it not inconveniencing her, she couldn't help not wanting to get in the way. It had been ingrained in her to stay out from underfoot. And she was still too uncomfortable to ask Paul for anything. He was a kind man, but it had taken her long enough to get used to Jenna's motherly presence, let alone an actual fatherly figure. Even after five years of living with them, she still jumped after hearing a door slam shut, and cringed away when they tried to touch her or hold her. She was glad they were as patient as they were kind. She was trying.

Breakfast ended and classes began. The day went by as usual; Potions, Herbology then lunch, Double Tranfigurations, and finally Arithmancy. Professor Vector had been discussing Numerology for the past two weeks. The other students were having trouble memorizing the symbols and meanings and she was a little frustrated by it. She had memorized them the night Professor Vector had introduced them to the class. But she sat patiently in the class, taking careful notes, determined to take in everything she could. Every extra bit of information another piece in the puzzle of her life.

At the end of class Vector passed back the last homework. She got an O, as usual. She packed up her things, pushing her glasses back up her nose and wiping her hands clean of the ink splotches she had acquired during class. It was time for dinner, but she didn't feel like putting up with all the noise and people, so she headed for the Owlry instead. She watched the owls come and go for a while, thinking, then pulled out a blank parchment and quill and began to write a letter.

_Jenna,_

_I was wondering if you could send me a new puzzle or book._

She paused, her quill hovering over the paper. She thought it might be too short, but she couldn't think of anything else to add without it feeling forced. Jenna kept telling her not to force things, so she just looked for a school owl. One helpfully offered out a leg and she moved to roll up her letter and attach it when she noticed she hadn't signed her name yet. She laid the paper out flat again and signed it.

_Thanks,_

_Raina_

She watched the owl fly away idly, disappearing into the night.


	2. A Chance Meeting

**_((WARNING: this chapter contains violent images, language, and child abuse in it. Also, the dream sequence is a slightly altered version of what a friend wrote for me in response for a request for something about Raina (as my OC). If you're interested, she also has an account here on : GreenFireDancing. Check her stuff out!))_**

Raina woke the next morning easily. The morning sun was beaming down and the air floating through the window was pleasantly warm. It was likely going to be a hot day. Some of the other girls were already up and talking and she felt a little out of place. She was normally up before everyone else and was gone. She got up quietly and made her bed bidding for time. Two of them left and the last girl stayed, getting dressed. Raina stood back against the wall beside a column and dressed herself in silence. The showers were going to be too crowded and busy so she decided not to bother today. It wouldn't be worth it. She just fixed her hair and left the room. She was quiet enough her roommate didn't even look up from buttoning her blouse.

During breakfast, she was surprised to see an owl make its way tiredly to her, carrying a wrapped package. It landed by her plate, released its cargo and hooted wearily to her before taking off again. Jenna had replied quicker than she expected. She pulled the package towards her, ignoring the loud talking of her classmates on all sides. She pulled off the note and opened it.

_Raina,_

_Your father and I were so happy to hear from you! We got your owl late at night. He gave us quite a fright tapping on our window last night to be let in. I suppose I'll never really get used to seeing owls deliver mail, but they do seem very intelligent don't they? I wonder how they find letter recipients…maybe you can find out for me?_

_I hope your classes are going well, and I'm sure you're getting high marks like always. Home's the same as ever. Mikki got herself stuck in the tree out front again and Paul got quite a few claw marks trying to get her back down again. Sometimes that cat is more trouble than she's worth, but we love her all the same!_

_Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I opened the window in your room. It was getting so stuffy in there; I had to let in some fresh air to clear it out. I don't want it to be musty when you come back home._

_I hope _you_ are doing well too. I can't help but worry sometimes with you so far away from home. I'm sure you're having a wonderful time learning magic and how to make spells and cook potions and things I'm sure I've never even imagined, but all the same...I hope you can find at school the things you need, things you haven't gotten at home._

_I'm pleased you asked for a new book; I found one I think you'll really like. I was just perusing the book store and it caught my eye. It looks terribly interesting, but I fear the content is likely above my level of understanding, but I'm confident you'll enjoy it._

_Feel free to write home whenever. I ALWAYS have time for you._

_Much Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

_(Jenna and Paul)_

Raina looked the note over a second time. Jenna never failed to impress her with her attempts to make her feel more at home, more…part of a family. She wondered how Jenna managed to write her these long letters knowing full well that Raina would likely not write back, and if she did, that is would be only a line or two. Raina folded the note back up and opened the package. It was a large, hard covered book called 'Cryptography: Theory and Practice'. The cover was black with gold lettering and it felt very heavy. No wonder the owl had been exhausted. She opened the front cover and skimmed the synopsis. The book seemed to be about encryption and decryption of coded messages; mainly using computers. Raina was no stranger to computers. Binary had been an extremely easy language to learn. If she had been a normal muggle, she likely would have already become an extremely adept hacker. But going to a school where the very magic in the air made all electronics go haywire made keeping up her computer skills difficult. Though that didn't mean she still couldn't hack her way through simple systems over the summer to keep herself busy. Computer programming was just another language, and security systems just another puzzle to solve.

The rest of the day passed much like all her others here at Hogwarts. Today was Ancient Runes. Sometimes Professor Babbling spoke a little too softly for others to hear, but Raina always kept her ears perked and understood her just fine. They were going over Norse Runes and for homework she gave them all pictures of runes found in some muggle archeology sites to decode for next class and sent them on their way. Raina was already excited for the homework; this sort of thing was what she lived for. A good enigma. The rest of the day seemed to drag on through Double Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. She rushed through dinner, putting up with the crowds as she had skipped dinner the night before and made her way to the library to do her Ancient Runes homework. She pulled a few books on Ancient Norse magic and history from the shelves and began her work. One of the runes in her picture wasn't one they had covered in class yet, but by deciphering the rest she was able to extrapolate the overall meaning of the runes. It seemed to be instructions for primitive spell work to ensure healthy crops for the year. Primitive because it required no wands, but involved mass chanting and a goat sacrifice. She shook her head as she closed her Runes book, packing up to leave. Ancient magic was fairly amazing. She couldn't imagine how often spells went wrong with a wand to focus and aim the magic, and yet they had accomplished so much.

She left the library, passing Madame Pince telling off a younger student for spilling ink on one of the books. Raina glanced out a window and was surprised to see the sky still held some light in it. It looked like there was enough daylight left to get a good chunk of her Mermish book read, and she might still have time to glance through the book Jenna had sent. She made her way up the spiral staircase to the blue door and stopped, looking up at the bronze eagle. It sprang to life and asked her its question.

"What lives without living and devours air?" it exasperated.

She was a little surprised. The eagle sounded annoyed. Normally it just asked calmly.

"Well?" it snapped at her. She jumped. The Eagle was always known for its patience. She flustered, startled by its unexpected short temper.

"I…uh…oh. A flame. A flame lives and devours air." She blinked at it.

"Indeed it does." It replied curtly. The door swung open and she was blasted by heat. Her breath caught in her throat due to the temperature difference and it took her a few seconds to adjust and breath properly again. She stepped through the door only to have it slam shut behind her, making her jump. She touched the back of the door. It was extremely hot. No wonder the eagle was irritable. She sighed and entered the common room. The brick around the fire place was scorched and many people were gathered around two or three second years, talking down at them, far from the fireplace. Apparently they had been practicing a potion heating spell and it had gone haywire, causing the fireplace to bellow out flames. The older students had managed to put the flames out, but they couldn't do anything about the stifling heat that seemed to radiate out from the fireplace. Raina quickly crossed the common room and reached the staircase to the girl's dormitory just as Professor Flitwick came through the eagle's passage, presumably to do damage control. She could hear him asking questions of the students but his voice faded away as she climbed the thirty-four steps and then entered her room.

It wasn't as bad here, but it was still very hot. The heat of the day had come in naturally through the window and the heat from the fireplace below had crept its way up the stairs. Either alone would have been just tolerable, but together they resulted in a too hot, too stifled room. She raised her wand and performed a silent clearing spell, typically used to rid bad smells, but it cleared the air of some of its heat, forcing it out the window. She couldn't do much about the warmth of the air outside, but at least it was more tolerable now. She sat on her bed and opened her Mermish book.

As the sun began to set, her roommates entered the room, a fresh wave of heat entering behind them. Raina raised her wand and cleared the air again as the door closed.

"My, It's much nicer up here." The blonde one sighed in relief.

"Yeah, thank god for our window. I can't imagine sleeping up here if it was like the common room." The girl with short dark hair replied.

"God, how can second years be so stupid? I wasn't ever that bad…right?" the brunette asked her friends.

Raina tuned them out and kept reading, performing the clearing spell silently every now and then. She set down her Mermish book as the last girl began putting on her pajamas. Raina brushed her fingers over the book Jenna had sent. She was itching to read it but it would have to wait for now. The other girls would be asleep soon and leaving a lamp on would bother them. She stood up and went to her trunk, pulling out her flannel pajamas and putting them on quickly, finishing just as the last lamp was turned off. She got in bed, moving to pull up the covers, but changed her mind and pulled up just the sheets instead. It was still pretty hot. She turned on her side and closed her eyes.

_Broken china was scattered across the grimy kitchen floor, sharp shards inviting her bare feet to step on them. To feel pain. Because that kind of pain - sharp, slicing, over in a few seconds - was better than the other pain she would be feeling tonight. She had done it again; let whatever it was inside her break, and, as usual, something strange, something out of the ordinary, had happened. She had set the curtains on fire with a glance. And now he was advancing towards her, a feral snarl distorting his already ugly features._

_"What the fuck have you done now, you little bitch?" He grabbed hold of her messy hair, yanking it back with dirty fingernails that raked against her scalp. His breath, a disgusting concoction of whiskey and cigarettes, blew into her face like a toxic wind, and she resisted the urge to turn away. Any sign of repulsion would only earn her more pain. "Well? Answer me!" he growled, shaking her shoulders._

_"N-nothing. It was an accident…" She shook violently, fearing what she knew was coming. He slapped her then, his hand leaving a large red imprint against the stark white of her face. Her eyes stung from the explosion and she could feel the tears starting to prick her eyes._

_"You're lying to me, you little slut!" he yelled, pulling her face closer to his. She could see the whites of his eyes, deranged and unfocused. There were tiny flecks of spit on his upper lip and his teeth were yellow and crooked as old gravestones. She whimpered as he twisted her arm behind her back, slowly walking her towards the wall. She hated him. She had long since stopped wondering why someone would do something like this. She knew the why didn't really matter anymore. Just the pain._

_An evil grin spread across his face as he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "and we all know what happens to liars, don't we?"_

She woke startled, her breathing quick, sitting up straight in her bed. She felt her heart trying to escape her chest and she placed her hand over it, attempting to calm it down, reminding herself that life was over.

The room was incredibly hot again. The other girls had already pushed all their blankets off and were sleeping only with the pajamas to cover themselves. Without her clearing the room at regular intervals, the heat had gathered. She performed the spell again, but didn't feel any cooler. She touched over her flannel to find them drenched with sweat, though from the heat or her nightmare she couldn't decide. It was still much too hot. She crept out of bed and opened her trunk quietly, looking for something lighter, and less sweaty to wear. But all she had was more flannel. That and the nightgown Jenna had packed. Raina pulled it out, frowning at it. The night gown was so much more…exposing. But the flannel was way too heavy for this heat. She grudgingly stripped out of her flannel and pulled the night gown on over her head. Already she felt better, and the fabric was soft and smooth to the touch, very different from the rough flannel she was used to.

She climbed back in bed to find the spot where she had been laying was wet from her sweat. She grimaced, but tried to situate herself comfortably in her damp bed. She lay there for almost an hour, staring the ceiling, trying to fall back asleep, but between the heat, the damp and the nightmare she began to get the feeling she wouldn't sleep anymore this night. She sat up and got out of bed, making it neatly. She thought that maybe she should change into some fresh flannel again, but didn't really care anymore. She glanced at the door, but knew the other girls were already sleeping fitfully. It wouldn't do well to wake them up too. So she looked at the window above her bed. It wouldn't be the first time.

She grabbed a satchel out of her trunk and put the Cryptography book in it then cast a simple grace and balance spell on herself to prevent any mishaps and climbed her way up to the window and sat there a moment, looking out over the dark, empty grounds. She smiled as a gentle breeze blew past her, pulling the heat from her skin. It was a pleasant night. She carefully stood on the window sill, put the satchel over her shoulder and stepped out onto the small ledge running around the tower. She cautiously made her way pressed against the wall, taking her time with the most difficult part of the journey. As she approached where the tower met the rest of the school, she saw the wider ledge that follows around the school, just under the parapets come closer. Upon reaching it she leapt down onto it, the spell she cast ensured a safe landing without any stumbling. This ledge was about the width of a small side walk so she strode casually along it brushing her fingers against the stone wall next to her.

The gentle breeze continued to cool her without making her too cold and it was turning out to be an enjoyable evening stroll. She reached the stone gargoyle that marked where the flat roof was and started climbing.

"OY!"

She scrambled for purchase, clinging to the gargoyles body, her heart pounding heavily for the second time that night. Exceedingly glad she had taken precautions with her spell, she found her balance again and looked out into the night for what had startled her.

"What the hell are you doing? You looking to get yourself killed?" the voice called. She furrowed her brow, looking down to the grounds for someone, and boy by the sound, and was startled yet again when she heard him speak right next to her ear.

"You're not trying to jump are you? Because I'll have to catch you if you do…" he said, sounding concerned. She looked to her side to see a boy flying on a broomstick, just above her and to her left. The boy had messy black hair and brown eyes. He looked familiar.

"You gonna say something? You're kinda freaking me out hanging there on a statue all quiet." He flew closer and she got a better look at him. He was in a few of her classes, so he was in her year, and she thought she remembered he was in Gryffindor.

"I'm fine…" she said softly, looking away from him and readjusting her hands on the gargoyle, pulling herself up further. "You don't have to stick around."

"I'm afraid I do. Can't wake up in the morning to find a body splattered on the grounds. It'd ruin everyone's day. And mine especially if I knew I could've prevented it." He hovered nearby, keeping his height next to hers as she climbed. She was starting to feel annoyed.

"Just go. I'm not going to fall." She kept climbing.

"You don't know that! You almost fell earlier!" he exclaimed, grinning at her. She was getting the feeling he was trying to joke around. That or he was teasing her.

"Only because you yelled and scared me! I've climbed up here plenty of times, thank you, and I come up her to be alone! So go away!" She was almost yelling at him. And she felt her face going red. She hated attention of any kind, but being stuck out here in the open with some annoying prat on a broomstick was getting intolerable. "What the hell are you doing out here anyway? Isn't it around two in the morning?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He replied coolly, ignoring her previous request to be left alone. She reached the top and climbed over the short wall finally reaching her destination. She turned and watch the boy land on the roof next to her. "Wow. Quite a view up here. No wonder you wanted to come up here."

"I wanted to be alone. Now that I'm up here safe and sound, will you just leave me alone?" she tried to keep her voice calm. It was an odd sensation, being angry at someone. She didn't like it much. It reminded her too much of back then.

"I dunno, what about when you want to come back down? Who's going to catch you if you fall then?" he raised an eyebrow at her, putting his hands on his hips.

"Then I'll fall to my death peacefully and alone without you prattling in my ear!" she raged at him, a little afraid of herself. He seemed to finally get the hint and he backed a step away from her.

"Ok, ok. I'm going. Relax. You're gonna pop a blood vessel or something. Just…be safe, ok?" he actually looked concerned as he got back on his broom. She pointedly looked away and pulled out her Cryptography book, sitting down to read and feeling too upset and annoyed to really concentrate. But she forced herself to read the book anyway, to try and calm herself down.

He drifted down out of sight and flew his way over to the Gryffindor tower and tapped gently on the window to be let in. His roommate obliged with a grin and stepped aside to let him in.

"Out causing trouble again, James?"

"What? Oh, no, just out for a midnight fly this time." He smiled at his friend, still a bit bamboozled by the strange girl out on the roof. His roommates laughed and settled back into their beds. James was every bit as mischievous as his namesake and it wasn't uncommon for him to sneak out at night and ready some pranks for the day.

As James pulled his own covers over himself, it suddenly struck him that the odd lines on her arms and legs might not have been some odd trick of the light, but scars.


	3. Lost Things

The next day was a slow one for Raina. She had groggily made her way back to her room as the east began to lighten and had simply gathered her things and headed for the showers. She seemed barely aware of the day passing around her having only gotten a few meager hours of sleep before the nightmare and the heat and the boy had all culminated together into her being unable to relax for most of the night. By the time she had headed back to her room, her eyes were drooping and she was constantly yawning, but she had had no time left to sleep at that point and decided to just press on with her day.

James similarly had gotten little sleep after their encounter, but was still rested enough to function for the day. The whole experience felt like a bizarre dream to him. A girl scaling the walls of Hogwarts in the middle of the night wearing only a pale yellow night gown? And then she had yelled at him, genuinely upset that he was only trying to save her life. The whole thing had just been, well, odd. What he found even odder was that, try as he might, he couldn't place her. He had no idea what house she was in and couldn't remember seeing her before, ever. Not in the great hall, not in classes, not even in passing in a corridor somewhere. It made him feel like it really had been a dream…or she was some sort of hallucination he had unwittingly been party to. It was unnerving. Mostly because she had looked his age, and if that was so, she was likely in his year. And that meant they had had classes together at one point or another. One thing he knew for sure; she wasn't in Gryffindor. He had made of point of watching the girl's dormitory for someone who looked like her before heading to breakfast. Just in case she'd been under his nose this whole time and he'd been completely oblivious. But no girl with frizzy brown-red hair and a bad attitude had come down the staircase.

He knew it was probably stupid to be over thinking this whole thing, but it kept nagging at him. Who was that girl? And why did he know absolutely nothing about her? He ignored Professor Bristol as the man droned on about the proper technique for Switching Spells. James wondered idly if Professor McGonagall had made Transfiguation interesting when she taught it, but he didn't think so. The Headmistress seemed an awfully strict and curt woman; he didn't imagine she would've focused on making her classes _fun_. He nibbled on the end of his quill, an improved version of the Sugar Quill his Uncle George had given him. This one was flavored orange, as indicated by the bright color of its false foliage. And as added fun, it actually turned ink orange as you wrote with it. Uncle George really was pretty brilliant.

A small light flashed in his eye and he put up a hand to block it. He looked around the room for the source and saw a girl cleaning her glasses. They had caught some light coming in through the window and reflected it back up to him. She finished and he looked away, gazing off into the distance, thinking about the upcoming Quidditch match. Last night he'd noticed his broom lazing to the left slightly. He'd have to polish the handle and trim the tail twigs to make sure it was flying perfectly for the game.

Last night…

He furrowed his brow, feeling like he was missing something, like he was on the verge of something, but couldn't quite grasp it. He looked down at his paper where the words _'bright light'_ stood out in orange ink. He had absently written it while the light was in his eyes. Light from glasses held by a girl; one with red-brown hair. He blinked, surprised he had missed that fact initially and he sat up straight, looking in the direction he thought he remembered the light had come from. He carefully scoured that area of the classroom, twice, and then the rest of the class when he didn't see her there. He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. He could've sworn he'd seen her just then. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. He had gotten little sleep last night.

Class let out and he gathered his things and made his way to the classroom exit. He was standing next to the table on the end of the front row when he finally saw a clear path to the exit and took it, quick as he could. In his haste he bumped into someone, his things falling to the floor. He stooped to pick them up and looked up to say sorry, but no one was there. He stood and glanced out the classroom, but saw only students making their way to the last class of the day. He looked back in the class and only saw Bristol packing up his things, done for the day. He looked up and saw James.

"Is there something I can help you with, Potter?" he inquired.

"No, I was just looking for someone." James replied, bending back down to pick up the rest of his things.

"Ah. Don't forget your book there." Bristol nodded to him as he left the classroom.

"Book?" James looked down in his arms, confused. He had everything, didn't he? He looked up at where he had been sitting in the back of class, but nothing was there either. He looked over the room and saw on the table next to him a rather thick, black volume with a gold title. The book looked rather new and he picked it up.

"_Cryptography: Theory and Practice_" he read aloud and raised an eyebrow. What was cryptography? And who on earth would choose to read a book like this? It definitely wasn't required reading, and looked to be a muggle book. The gold numbers and symbols decorating the cover weren't moving at all. James left the Transfiguration class room, slowly making his way to Potions while he looked at the book. It only occurred to him when he reached Slughorn's class that he should've just left the book there. Whoever owned it would likely be back, looking for it. Oh well. He'd just bring it to the next Double Transfigurations class, after the weekend. Thinking about it now, the book did seem like something an over-zealous Ravenclaw might pick up; likely a muggle-born as well. He sat down at his usual table next to Zach, the same friend who had opened the window for him last night, who greeted him with a wave.

"Wha'cha got there?" he asked curiously. "You're not normally the type to do extracurricular reading."

"Nothin', just a book I found." James replied, opening the cover and reading the description. Just doing that gave him a small head ache though. It was full of long, technical terms like 'data-encryption', 'cryptanalysis' and 'transposistion ciphers,' but was able to get the gist that it had to do with computers. His dad had tried many times to explain what those muggle gadgets were to him and how useful they could be, but it made little sense to James.

"Wow. That book looks incredibly dull." Zach said, reading over James' shoulder. "I can't even understand half those words."

"I know, right?" James looked to his friend with a smile and a shrug. Slughorn rapped his desk with his wand, calling the class to attention.

"Alright, today we'll be continuing our potions from last class. If you were successful last time, it should have a silver sheen! If not… well, come see me and we can figure something out." Slughorn smiled kindly with humor in his voice as the class began to shift around and murmur, getting together their ingredients and collecting their partially made potions.

"I'll get ours." Zach left, moving to the back of the classroom where their cauldron waited. James nodded to him and opened the books pages, flipping through them with his left hand. It was almost all text, with the occasional diagram or schematic. James didn't even put effort into trying to understand them. As he neared the front of the book, something caught his eye. He thumbed back the first few pages of the book to find a handwritten note on one of the blank pages between the title page and the table of contents.

_To Raina,_

_If you end up enjoying this, let me know! I'm happy to get you more, and maybe we can convince your dad to let you get a new computer when you get home to practice with._

_All my love and best wishes,_

_Mom_

_(Jenna)_

He touched the little heart the mom had drawn next to her signature, and wondered why she had put her name in parenthesis under that. At least he knew who the book belonged to now. A muggleborn Ravenclaw named Raina.

Raina was cursing herself at dinner. Her day had only gone downhill after her run in with that boy the previous night. She had almost fallen asleep in potions, and she had done a dreadful job replanting the singing bluebells in Herbology. They had actually started singing sharply off key by the end of class and Professor Longbottom had kept sticking his finger in his ear as if trying to clear the ringing in his ears. During lunch she had managed to get more food on herself than in herself, and she spent the last twenty minutes or so cleaning herself off. Then she had left her book in the Transfiguration room. She realized before she had gotten far, but on her way back in she had run into someone and run back out again, not wanting a confrontation. She had gone back to the classroom after Arithmancy, but her book was missing. For once she wished she wasn't so timid. If she had stuck around after running into that person, she could be reading her book. And it wasn't as if they were going to yell at her, right? It had only been an accident. She could have just said 'sorry' grabbed her book and been on her way she chided herself.

Raina stabbed at the meat on her plate with her fork, wishing she hadn't been so flustered all day. She could write Jenna and ask for a second copy, but what if she got mad Raina had lost the first one? The book not looked inexpensive by any means; it was practically a textbook for students learning Cryptography. Raina bit her lip. She desperately wanted the book, but knew she had no intention of asking Jenna for a second copy, not now. She would just have to wait and hope the book showed up, and if it didn't, she'd buy another copy herself over the summer. After dinner she headed up to the common room and her dorm, burying herself in the Mermish language. If she couldn't read Jenna's book, she'd at least work on mastering her new tongue.

Over the weekend, Raina managed to finish her Mermish book and softly whispered the language to herself, practicing quietly enough to not disturb those around her with the shrieking and screeching that frequented the language. She murmured it to herself in hallways, moving only her lips while passing others, trying to get to the point where she could think in Mermish without difficulty. This would make six languages she knew inside and out (not counting Latin of course as it was a dead language). Most she had learned since she began living with Jenna and Paul, but Spanish she had begun to pick up in Primary school when she found a Spanish-to-English dictionary in her school's library. Focusing on a new language had helped her to escape her reality in a way her books and stories hadn't. It had given her something real to center on when she had no puzzles, or wasn't allowed any. After she had Spanish down, she looked into other languages and after five years, she had French, Russian, and Chinese under her belt as well. By then she had learned there were other languages in the wizarding world, and had decided on Mermish as her next conquest. Mermish had taken her longer than the others, mainly because it isn't a human dialect, but she believed with a little practice, she could get the pronunciation down correctly.

Monday seemed to drag by for Raina. As she was between books and hadn't yet decided on a new one (whether a book on Gobledegook, or some other odd book she might find in the Library), she just flipped through an old puzzle book Jenna had given her a few years back. Paying only enough attention to copy down all the notes she needed, she glanced down at the pages, noting each puzzle or riddle and solving it quickly from memory, as she turned to the next page and the next. The two doors to the City of Truth and the City of Lies. A man rides into town on Friday, stays two days, and leaves on Friday. What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? Old, simple riddles to her by now. Once lunch rolled around she was nearing the end of the book, and the riddles and puzzles were more difficult ones she hadn't memorized. She carefully thought through each one and smiled to herself as she reached the last page. When Jenna has first given her the book it had taken a whole week to get through, now it only took her a few hours. She was about to close the book when she noticed a diagram on the inside back cover of the book. She tilted her head and opened to the back cover, looking over the picture. It seemed to be a very intricate tangle, one she could follow with her eyes through the mass. She looked at the bottom of the drawing. _"Fig. A Gordian Knot."_ Her mouth formed a silent "oh" and she traced over the legendary knot with her finger, wondering to herself if the knot could in fact be undone, or if the Alexandrian Solution of cutting it in half was the only way. She closed the book thoughtfully and made her way to Double Transfiguration, wondering how she might go about making a replica of the knot from the book's diagram.

She sat in her usual spot, a seat next to the wall and under a window, much like her room. She pulled the chair a little closer to the wall and sat down, spreading out her things for class. Her class mates milled around her, chatting as they took their seats. Professor Bristol rapped his desk, calling attention.

"Alright, settle down, Miss Morgenson, please put away that horrendous quill and pull out a proper one." Bristol's voice rang out with authority despite the fact that he spoke no louder than usual. The class grew quiet and the girl in question scowled at the professor as she put away her elaborate peacock feather quill and pulled out a rather plain brown feathered quill instead.

"Today we will begin to look at vanishing spells," the professor began writing on the board, his back turned to the class. Raina began to scribble down notes. "This is a very difficult piece of magic and I expect…"

"Um, Professor?"

Raina turned her head and saw a boy sitting in the back with his hand raised. She furrowed her brow and looked the boy over. _Oh…it's _that_ boy…_ she sighed to herself and turned back toward the board. His hair was just as messy as it had been the night he scared her half to death. Bristol turned from the black board and glanced over the classroom.

"Hm? Oh, Potter. Yes?" Bristol seemed a bit a bit perturbed to be interrupted mid lecture.

"Sorry Professor, but I wondered if I could say something really quick?" he asked. Some of the students were whispering to each other, glad for the short break from class. Bristol nodded and waved his hand as if to say _"just get it over with,"_ and the boy jogged down the steps to the front of class.

"Thanks Professor," he started.

"James, please tell us you're going to take up at least half of class with this?" a boy near the back shouted. The rest of the class laughed and James grinned at his friend. Raina scowled, wishing class would get on.

"Sadly no, I just wanted to return this book. I accidentally picked it up last class," he held up the book and Raina glanced up. Her heart stopped as she recognized it. Her Cryptography book! It was okay! She almost jumped up and grabbed it out of his hands right there, but there were so many people in the class, and all of them were looking at James and the book he held. She bit her lip anxiously. She'd have to wait till after class to get it.

"No one?" James seemed a bit put out. "Inside there's a note written to a girl named Raina? If I had to guess she's likely a Ravenclaw. No one else would wanna touch a book like this with a ten-foot pole." James grinned as the Gryffindors chuckled and the Ravenclaws scowled at him. Raina felt her face turn red. Why was her name in that book? And why of all people did he have to be the one to find it? All he was doing was embarrassing her now! _I just want to disappear…_ she pressed herself up against the wall closing her eyes wishing this torture would end.

"…Okay…well, I guess I'll just put it here then," James placed the huge book on the edge of Bristol's desk as the front of the class room. "If anyone knows who Raina is, I guess…let her know her book is here." James shrugged to the class and headed back to his seat. The class was giggling and whispering to each other. No one seemed to know a Raina.

"I'm sure who ever owns this book will be grateful to receive it back again, Potter. Now if you all don't mind, I'd like to get back to Vanishing spells. I can assure you the topic will be on the O.W.L.S this year!" Professor Bristol's voice cut through the chatter like a knife and the class fell silent again as he restarted his lecture, sobered by the loomed threat of O.W.L.S. Bristol explained the first few classes would all be vanishing theory, as the theory was imperative for practice of the spell.

Raina took a deep breath, calming herself, trying to slow her heart beat as Bristol droned on. At least he didn't seem to know who she was. That was something. And after class, she could just pick up her book while no one was watching. It was going to be okay. She was just going to have to be more careful in the future and make sure she always had all of her things. That's all.

As class ended, everyone happily gathered their things and left, resuming the conversations left unfinished at the beginning of class. Raina hung back, waiting until even Professor Bristol had packed his things and was gone before getting up out of her chair. She double checked around herself, determined not to leave anything behind then approached the desk as the front of the classroom. She touched her book and let out a small sigh of relief, glad the whole ordeal was over. She picked her book up and headed out of the classroom with a small smile, excited to get back into reading it.

James wasn't sure what to think. She was real.

He had stayed after class to see if anyone picked up the book, just out of curiosity, and something told him he should hide himself if the storage closet by the black board. Just a hunch he had had. As soon as he was sure the class was completely empty, and he was about the leave the closet disappointed, when suddenly, she was there. Picking up the book. It seemed she had come out of nowhere. He had looked over the classroom repeatedly and saw no one. But there she was. The same girl that had yelled at him for trying to make sure she was safe. The same red-brown hair and glasses. He frowned to himself. He had likely seen her that day in class when the light shone in his eyes too, but why hadn't he been able to find her? What was it about this girl that made her near impossible to spot unless she was scaling the castle walls? James watched her leave then stepped out of the closet, slowly making his way to potions as he thought.


	4. Speaking Tongues

**A/N: I apologize for the wait on this chapter. my writing tends to come and go in sudden spurts, so I'll write a ton, and then have no motivation for a long while, then suddenly HAVE to write more... hopefully chapter five will not be so long in coming, but we'll see how that goes as school will be starting soon... but then again, i have a fiction writing class this semester, so i may take time from that to work on this. we'll just have to see how it goes.**

**reviews are appreciated (as always) and longer, more in depth ones help get me motivated to write more sooner!**

**and a thanks to my four (I'm still shocked i have that many) people who have this story on their alerts/Favorited list. it always makes my day to see one of those. ^_^ anyway, enjoy!**

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The next few weeks passed by as usual for Raina. Going to her classes, eating, sleeping, reading and homework filled her days. She simultaneously delved into her Cryptography book and tried to figure out a way to replicate the Gordian Knot in her free time. Raina was fairly satisfied with how things were in her life, all but one thing…

She sometimes got the feeling she was being watched. It was an odd, unnerving sensation. Every now and then she'd be sitting in class, or at lunch and she'd suddenly sense someone's eyes on her. Normally people would look past her, over her, or beyond her, never really seeing her. It felt immediately different to have someone looking _at_ her, but every time she tried to find the source of the stare, the feeling went away only to return again later. It was frustrating, and it was starting to get on her nerves. She could tell her usually gentle disposition was turning into a short temper, and she had no one to be angry with but herself. She found herself constantly stopping to take deep breaths, constantly calming herself down. She hated being angry. Raina did her best to ignore the feeling.

_Now where are you hiding today?_ James grinned to himself as he sat at the Gryffindor table. He was getting good at this. Ever since he found out this Raina girl existed, and shared classes with him, he'd been trying to spot her, and keep his eyes on her. There really was a trick to it. She seemed to simply blend into whatever background she was in front of. And once found, it was hard to keep looking at her. She made herself so uninteresting, that James often found his eyes wandering elsewhere, away from her then he would have to start all over again finding her. Of course it helped that she tended to always be in the same areas. James had made a bit of a game out of it. How soon could he spot her? How long could he keep his eyes on her? How long before she felt his stare and looked for him? She still hadn't spotted him yet, and he'd keep it that way if he could. It was actually pretty fun playing "I Spy the Invisible Girl."

He carefully scoured the Ravenclaw table's end near the banner; her typical haunt. He only had an hour to try and find her before breakfast ended and first class began. He ate without looking at his food, trying to finish quickly. Sometimes he got the feeling that if he couldn't find her in the Great Hall it was because she skipped meals every now and then, but that only added to the challenge.

"Hey! James! You alive in there?"

"Huh?" James snapped his attention to his friend, startled.

"Nothing. Just been trying to get your attention for the Quidditch captain for five minutes or so." Zach forked some scrambled eggs and took a bite nonchalantly.

"What? Where is he?" James jumped up, forgetting about his game of find-the-girl.

"He headed down to the Quidditch pitch. I told him I'd send you that way once you were with us again." Zach took a sip of his pumpkin juice, "what's your deal lately anyway? You've been really out of it lately."

"I'll tell you later!" James rushed to grab his things. He'd been so intent on spotting the girl he'd forgotten about the early Quidditch practice this morning. "Did you wanna watch practice?" James called over his shoulder, a piece of toast in his mouth.

"Nah. I'll meet you down there in an hour and walk with you to class. See ya!" Zach waved James away.

James hurried to the Gryffindor tower to grab his broom and Quidditch gear. As Gryffindor keeper he had quite a lot of padding to carry down to the pitch. He rushed down to the Quidditch pitch.

"Potter! Get your arse on your broom and get up here!" one of the figures flying around the pitch called down to him; he was an older boy and watched all the members of the team as they drilled. The Quidditch captian.

"Keep your pants on, I'm coming!" James shouted up at Flynn. He quickly put on his padding and flew up to the goal posts, ready to block his chaser teammates' quaffle throws. Luckily it was a pleasant morning, but James knew that once winter came around Flynn wasn't going to take it easy on them just because it was cold or wet. He had a reputation for pushing his team to perform at their best in any and all conditions. Grudgingly, James had to admit that mind set had helped them win more than a few matches in unfavorable weather.

By the time the early morning practice had finished, James was sore from sitting on his broom and being pummeled with the quaffle, as well as a couple stray bludgers the beaters had been unable to contain. He landed and walked to the dressing room to change and get ready for class. Zach was already inside waiting for him, and, as James noted gratefully, his friend had brought him a roll and some sausages from the breakfast James had skimmed before breakfast. The two of them walked back up to the castle together.

"So, what's been your deal lately James? You've been so out of it." Zach asked his friend curiously, and with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Have you ever heard of a girl named Raina?" James asked him. Zach just looked at him. "Ravenclaw? Our year?" He shook his head, obviously a bit perplexed.

"Why? Who is she?"

"That's the thing, nobody knows who she is. It's like she doesn't exist, or she's invisible." James told him.

"Then…how do you know she exists?" Zach asked cautiously, looking at James as if he were just the slightest bit crazy and may need help.

"Because she yelled at me when I wouldn't leave her alone. And then, remember that huge black book I found?" James inquired and Zach nodded warily. "It was her book. There was a note written in it to her and I stayed after class in transfiguration to see who would pick up the book and she did."

"You still haven't really explained why all this matters." Zach stated.

"I've been distracted because I keep looking for her. She's _very_ hard to spot, and it's kind of like a game of 'I Spy" or 'Where's Waldo?'"

"What's a 'Waldo'?" Zach asked raising an eyebrow.

"I think it's some sort of Muggle toy or something that hides from you…or something" James furrowed his brow.

"Ok, so you've being trying to find this girl…Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you keep trying to find her? You have a thing for her or something?" Zach poked at James teasingly.

"No…it's not that. I guess she just kinda…intrigues me? I seem to be the only one that can really see her, and it makes me wonder why she hides." James pondered.

"Are you _sure_ she exists?" Zach asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure. She has Transfiguration with us. Look, I'll just try to point her out to you next time I see her, ok?" James clapped Zach on the shoulder steering them both into the Charms classroom had had arrived at in no time at all.

The morning passed quickly with Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures after charms. As much as James loved his family friend Hagrid, he sure did have some odd ideas about what constitutes as 'lovable' animals. They'd been working with manticores and Hagrid couldn't seem to get enough of them. He and Zach left class, with minimal cuts and burns considering how previous classes had gone, and walked together back up to the castle for lunch. James glanced toward the lake and smiled watching the light sparkle on the water. Under a tree, a girl sat reading her books cross-legged, and further away some Ravenclaw second years were practicing their spell work while some of the older Ravenclaw students watched them warily. James looked back to Zach to suggest they try out a prank on the second years when he suddenly remembered something and snapped his attention back to the tree.

"There! Zach look! She's sitting under the tree by the lake, that's her!" James grabbed Zach's arm and swung him around to face the lake, pointing desperately as the girl with frizzy red-brown hair and glasses.

"What? Where? I don't see anyone." Zach squinted his eyes, searching.

"Don't try to look right at her, look at the tree first and then just kind of take in the surroundings," James helped.

"Uh…oh. That's all?" Zach looked back at James.

"'That's all?' That girl was near impossible for you to spot without help and you just say, 'that's all?'" James asked, incredulous.

"Well, there's nothing really special about her. She's just a girl reading a book under a tree, so what?" Zach shrugged and started back towards the castle.

"Try to find her again, without help this time." James pulled his friend back again, getting an annoyed sigh in return. Zach glanced back over at the tree.

"She packed up and left James. Just let it go." Zach turned again and James looked back at the tree, looking for her again. She seemed to pop out of the wood suddenly as she moved her head.

"No Zach, she's still ther—" James started to insist, but was cut off by a horrible shrieking sound.

"WHAT IS THAT?" Zach yelled over the noise, clapping his hands over his ears.

"I DON'T KNOW," James yelled back, copying his friend. James looked around for the source of the noise. Students that had previously been sitting and relaxing were running for the castle, covering their ears. All except one. Raina had gotten up from her spot under the tree and started walking calmly to the edge of the lake where she knelt down. The screeching noise seemed to stop for a moment then started again. Zach was tugging on his arm and motioning to the castle but James pulled away, moving towards the lake and Raina. As he approached he saw the Headmistress appear and walk with purpose to the lake, which James now realized was the source of the noise. As she approached Raina turned to her and James could see a head and pair of shoulders bobbing just above the surface of the water. Her frowned for a moment before remembering Mermaids lived in the lake with the Giant Squid. The noise had stopped while she spoke with McGonagall, but this time he could see Raina's mouth moving as the noise began again. The Mermaid waited, and spoke back. James watched for a moment, stunned. This girl spoke Mermish.

James started back down toward the lake, but McGonagall saw him and walked to him briskly.

"Potter. Go fetch Professor Longbottom. Tell him to meet me by the lake in no less than fifteen minutes," the Headmistress said sternly.

"What's going on?" he asked, glancing back at Raina and the mermaid.

"That's hardly your concern Mr. Potter," she crossed her arms and looked down at James, "But I would assume you could use your eyes and ears and tell it has something to do with the Mermish population living in the lake. Please, Mr. Potter, go get Professor Longbottom quickly, and ask him to bring any Gillyweed he may have on hand." And with that she whisked away to the castle. James watched her go, frustrated. She had been less informative than he had hoped, but just as curt as was expected of her. With a last glance at the girl and mermaid he headed down to the greenhouses in search of Neville.

"Professor! You here?" James called into the nearest greenhouse, but when he got no response he rushed to the next, and the next, finally finding his teacher in the (of course) last greenhouse.

"Professor!" James panted, now a little out of breath.

"James? What is it?" Professor Longbottom poked his head up over the Tenacious Ivy he was currently tending too.

"The Headmistress wants you to meet her down at the lake in fif—" James quickly corrected himself for the time he spent searching, "ten minutes, she said to bring as much Gillyweed as you have."

"Gillyweed?" Neville looked at him, puzzled, then panicked. "Is anyone hurt? Drowning?" he asked quickly, rushing to a cabinet and pulling it open to grab a handful of what looked to James like green-grey worm balls.

"No, I'm not sure exactly what's going on but a Mermaid came up from the lake and talked to McGonagall and then she sent me here." James said quickly, watching Neville slow his pace a little.

"Oh, alright then." The Professor sighed with relief, "I didn't know Minerva spoke Mermish…" he pondered to himself as he gathered his things and looked at his plants thoughtfully.

"Well, actually it was a student that talked to the Mermaid," James corrected himself.

"A student?" Neville asked, surprised. He went to a cupboard and pulled out an old, battered copy of a book. James thought it read _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_.

"A girl, Ravenclaw" James supplied.

"How interesting," Professor Longbottom commented. "Let's head back shall we?" he smiled at James and gestured out the door with his hand. James took the lead and hurried his way back to where he had last seen Raina. He approached the girl curiously. She glanced up at him momentarily, then did a double take and scowled at him.

"Hello Miss…?" Neville paused, stumped.

"Triant." She answered quietly, looking at her feet.

"Ah yes, Miss Triant. Could you please let me know what's going on?" He smiled pleasantly to her.

Raina sighed. It was just her luck that there were no professors on campus that could speak Mermish. Of course it could only be her, the girl with no practical experience in the language, to be enlisted as translator.

"Jyana," she gestured to the Mermaid, "is daughter of the Chieftain. She was sent by her father to ask for help for their tribe. A terrible sickness has struck and they're worried it will kill everyone. The Headmistress has agreed on behalf of the school to provide any assistance needed by our neighbors, then she sent for you, and went to get Madame Pomfrey."

"_Who is that?"_ Jyana asked her. Her Professor and James covered their ears even though she had spoken rather quietly.

"_Our Herbology teacher, Professor Longbottom. Between him and Madame Pomfrey they should be able to figure out what's wrong and come up with a cure."_ Raina answered her, trying to speak softly.

"_And what of the boy?"_ she asked, gesturing to James.

"_I'm unsure…"_ Raina turned to James who was watching the exchange with a dazed look in his eyes. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" she asked him, trying to be polite.

"She's right James; you'd better hurry and catch lunch before classes start." Neville said glancing up at James from the book he now had open, likely reading for possible healing plants that may help.

"I agree, Professor,"

Raina looked up to see McGonagall returning with Madame Pomfrey.

"Mr. Potter you should be getting along now. Thank you for your assistance." The Headmistress said simply.

"Can't I go along?" James asked pleadingly.

"No, you have classes to attend. Off you go." McGonagall shooed him away and he left reluctantly in search of his friend who had disappeared during the commotion.

"May I go as well Headmistress?" Raina asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, you are the only one on campus who speaks Mermish. I'm sure your professors will understand. I can inform them personally regarding your absence," she replied, turning to Professor Longbottom, "you brought Gillyweed?" He nodded in response pulling the grey wads out of his pocket and showing them to her.

"But once you're underwater, you'll have no problem's understanding each other," Raina protested once more.

"Miss Triant, just because the water will provide some translation does not substitute for having someone along who is fluent in the language, and possibly their customs and culture as well. I assume you do know something of Mermish traditions?" she asked, arching her eyebrow. Raina nodded, defeated. She then turned to Neville and took two of the lumps, giving one to Raina. "Here, eat this. It isn't as elegant as a bubble head charm, but it will allow for us to move and react quicker underwater."

Raina took the wormy lump out of McGonagall's hand and looked at it, trying to decide whether she should take bites out of it or just try to put the whole thing in her mouth at once. She glanced to her teachers and followed suit when they put the wad in their mouths and began to chew and remove their shoes and extraneous clothes. The Gillyweed was extremely unpleasant to say the least. She had difficulties controlling her gag reflex while she tried to chew the rubbery substance and swallow it. She glanced at Jyana, who was watching her curiously. The mermaid's yellow eyes looked eerie, but not unkind or cold, and her red-green hair was highly reminiscent of seaweed, even down to the slimy sheen it had.

The pain of the transformation was sharp and quick. Raina pressed her hands to the sides of her neck as slits that here gills cut into her. She began to gasp for air and the world began to spin around her. Raina wasn't sure which way was up anymore let alone the direction towards the lake she knew she had to reach before suffocating. Panic was beginning to set in.

"_This way, follow my voice, it will be ok. This way,"_

The voice was the only thing that made sense to her and she crawled towards it, feeling relieved once her hands reached the wet sand and rock around the lake. She moved faster and plunged into the water, gasping. The water was warmer than she had expected it to be and it felt oddly wonderful to be breathing water rather than drinking it.

"Better?"

Raina swiveled in the water and went to move her hair out of her face, barely aware of her now webbed hands, and saw Jyana smiling gently.

"Yes, thank you." She said softly, speaking the words in Mermish because she was talking to the chieftain's daughter, but she noted that it sounded English to her ears.

"Come, your Way Guides are this way. They were worried when you didn't show up immediately." Jyana flipped her tail elegantly and seemed to speed off much faster than Raina expected and she was about to call out that she couldn't keep up when she found that she actually could, albeit not as gracefully as Jyana.

"Way Guides? I'm not familiar with that term," Raina commented, curious.

"Those who help guide your way and teach you to swim it. Was I mistaken?" Jyana had flipped around so her torso was still away from Raina, but she was facing upwards and in her direction so they could speak.

"No, but we just call them teachers. Although, Madame Pomfrey is a Healer, not a teacher, and Headmistress McGonagall is more like Chieftain of the school. Professor Longbottom _is_ our Herbology teacher though." She replied. Jyana nodded and turned herself back around. She wasn't entirely sure why, but for some reason, talking to Jyana wasn't that bad. It was almost comfortable. Maybe it was because Jyana wasn't human, or because it was a different language, but she felt alright conversing with her.

Raina looked up and saw three figures floating, suspended in the water ahead. The clothes her professors hadn't removed drifted around them, weightless.

"My tribe is this way." Jyana motioned the teachers to follow her further into the lake. Raina trailed behind everyone else. Even though she didn't mind Jyana, having her teachers near her, and even more odd, aware of her, was disconcerting. Even though part of her knew that being noticed wasn't necessarily a bad thing, she had learned early on that not all attention was good attention, and soon after, that she would much rather have no attention at all if it meant avoiding the bad kind, which was really the only kind she had experience with. Well, she supposed, it was the only kind she had experience with until Paul and Jenna anyway, but by that time, going unnoticed and staying away had been ingrained in her as surely as breathing or walking. These days too much attention not only made her uncomfortable, but could make panic set in. Raina hoped dearly that once they arrived in Jyana's village most of the Merfolk would ignore her and focus their attention on her "Way Guides".

"Are you stuck in an eddy?"

"A what? Oh, no, the water's calm here," startled, Raina looked up to Jyana, for the first time noticing the other Merfolk that had gathered around her and her teachers as well as the odd, hut-like rock dwellings they seemed to live in.

"No," Jyana laughed gently, "I meant your mind, not your body. You seemed to be thinking deeply about something. But that can wait. We are here." She gestured to her people and her village. "The Tribe welcomes you with open arms and clear waters." Jyana paused, looking to Raina.

She shifted uncomfortably, frowning as her teachers all looked to her to finish the proper greeting.

"We are grateful to be welcomed," Raina started looking down away from everyone, her voice quiet. She felt everyone's eyes on her and flushed, falling silent, uncertain if she could continue. Jyana swam forward and took her hand gently encouraging her. Raina sighed and closed her eyes, raising her head to finish a little stronger than she had begun, "and bring no ills to cloud your waters"

"Good, spoken perfectly," Jyana said softly to Raina, and then to her people, "These people have graciously offered to help us with the sickness that is plaguing our Tribe and it's Cheiftain. They are honored guests and will be given any help they ask for." She then turned to the Headmistress, Professor, and Healer. "My father is this way." Jyana swam towards one of the bigger rock dwellings and the teachers followed her leaving Raina by herself. A few of the Merfolk looked at her curiously, but soon swam off to do what needed to be done to keep their Tribe surviving. She notice that there were very few Merfolk that were able bodied; it looked like there were just under ten of them, counting Jyana, and given the number of dwellings and their size, Raina had to guess the village supported about thirty total. It was no wonder they had been desperate enough to ask for outside help. If a cure wasn't found soon, they might die out.

As she expected, Raina wasn't really needed for anything, other than the proper, polite greeting she had made to the Tribe, but her teachers were too busy working, and she too shy to interrupt their work to ask if she might return to school. And aside from that, she wasn't even sure which way her school was from here, she hadn't paid much attention on the way here to her surroundings. Instead, she spent her day looking at the carved murals around and in the village, fascinated by the ancient Mermish writing describing the stories depicted. She traced her fingers over the symbols, idly wondering how old they were. She recognized some of the symbols, but not all of them. However, between the pictures and her knowledge of the current language, she was able to get the gist of what they said. The mural she was currently looking at seemed to describe a myth of three sisters. Their Tribe had been assaulted by human fisherman and the sisters had felt much grief at the loss of their people, and they wanted revenge against the awful humans. So the three of them rose to the water's surface and sang their sorrow and anger at those who had wronged them, but they sang it with beauty and grace and in such a way that they entranced their wrong doers. The humans were drawn to their song and steered their ship right into the rocky shoal where the sisters sang. The sisters were more than happy to take the sailors down below the water and sing them to their deaths.

Raina smiled wryly, wondering if the Sirens actually had existed, or if they were as much a myth to the Merfolk as to the humans. Despite the fact that she doubted a mermaid could sing beautifully enough above water to draw men to their deaths with the way their voices sounded, but she supposed it wouldn't be entirely impossible, especially if the story existed among the Merfolk as well as the Humans.

"Ah, the story of the Three Sisters. They inspire every young girlfry to become enchanting singers." Jyana smiled at Raina.

"Humans have a similar story that warned sailors to beware beautiful singing at sea, were they real?" Raina asked her.

"Yes and no. the Sea Merfolk are a prideful people, and very vain. I'm sure if you asked one, she would tell you in an instant that her great-great grandmother was one of the three sisters and that she had inherited her voice. I'm more inclined to believe that the three sisters tricked the humans some other way with music and possibly their looks. Sea Merfolk have more human features than my people." Jyana drifted along with a gentle current looking at the carvings. Raina watched the Mermaid silently, feeling out of place again. When she had been alone here, amongst the carvings, it had felt almost like roaming the castle halls alone at night; comfortable. But, she supposed, she was glad it was Jyana and not one of her professors that had found her.

"What is it that troubles you?" Jyana asked her, twirling around on her tail to face Raina once again.

"Trouble? Nothing's wrong." Raina shook her head gently feeling her hair float and flop behind her, still trapped in its braid.

"My little krill, you are troubled by something, even if you are not aware of it. You seem very distant and uncomfortable, like a small crab that has found itself in a lobster trap." Jyana furrowed her brow in a caring manner looking into Raina's hazel eyes.

"I…I would just rather be up at the castle. I have homework and studying to do. I'm not needed, and being here is only wasting my time." Raina broke contact with the Mermaid's brilliant yellow gaze and turned back towards the carvings, hunching her shoulders protectively. Jyana seemed to sigh behind her and flicked her tail, swimming away and pausing at the edge of the stone carvings.

"Regardless of what plagues you, you should find someone to talk about it with. It does no good to let poison fester; you must cut into the wound and bleed it out before you can begin to heal." Jyana called quietly over her shoulder before leaving Raina alone once more. She sighed and ran her fingers over the carvings. Why was it that everyone seemed to think she needed other people, more people in her life? She was fine by herself, and happy that way. _Besides,_ she thought, _there's nothing wrong. I have nothing I need to talk about with anyone._

After a few hours, when the water filtered light from above had diluted to the point where Raina could only make out faint shapes around her, the Headmistress had found Raina floating in the same place she had spent most of the day, and let her know they would be leaving now. Raina followed quietly as she and her "way guides" made their way back to the lake's surface. Her teachers discussed the disease and how much headway they had made during the day. Professor Longbottom thought he had some plants in his numerous greenhouses that Madame Pomfrey might be able to use to make a medication for their neighbors. Raina barely paid attention as they bantered back and forth about the day's events, wanting only to get back up to the castle where she could disappear into the background once again.

At the shore, McGonagall allowed Raina to gather her things and go on her way, making it clear that they would not need her assistance on further visits to the Merpeople Tribe below the lake. Raina happily gathered her things and went on her way, glad that there was no one waiting, hoping she would tell the story of what happened. There wasn't time for that, and other things she would much rather do than tell a story.

It was close to dinner time so Raina headed to the great hall and ate quickly as she read more of her newly recovered Cryptography book, hoping to reach the common room showers before the rest of her house had finished their own food. Feeling once again clean after a hot shower, she crawled into bed and was asleep before her roommates had tromped up the thirty-four stairs to their room where they discussed the excitement they all seemed to have missed out by the lake earlier in the day.

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